ExoticTeaStore.com

There is a delightful way of drinking tea in East Friesland, Germany, that I only recently discovered, even though I myself am German. I call it the “German tea ceremony.

First you place a lump of rock candy in the bottom of the cup, cover it generously with hot black tea, and listen to the crackling sound the candy makes.

Next you carefully float some cream on the tea, watching as it sinks and then rises in little clouds.

Now you drink the tea, enjoying the creaminess on top, the bitterness of the tea underneath, and finally the sweetness imparted by the rock candy. Rock candy can be very cheaply procured from Oriental grocery stores.

Roland Petrov